Use student funds to pay salaries, DU colleges told

Use student funds to pay salaries, DU colleges told

Principals, Teachers Say Order Illegal, Ask Govt To Reconsider

Mohammad.Ibrar@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:17.10.2020

The directorate of higher education has asked Delhi University colleges that are fully funded by the state government to use Student Society Fund (SSF) within two weeks if they can’t pay salaries to teaching and non-teaching staff due to a special audit and non-release of grants-in-aid. However, teachers’ and principals’ associations have again called the suggestion “illegal”.

In the order dated October 16, the colleges have been asked to use SSF till the audit is complete. This “has been done in the past”, it claims. The colleges had objected to a similar suggestion made by education minister Manish Sisodia last month.

Six of the 12 colleges fully funded by Delhi government are facing the audit for “financial irregularities” and haven’t paid salaries for over six months.

Hem Chand Jain, principal of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College that is undergoing the audit, said he would forward the order to DU to know if the order was binding.

“If this order is implemented, students will be deprived of funds for various activities. I request Delhi government to not ask us to do this as it would amount to cheating students,” Jain said. “We have only Rs 9.28 crore in our SSF, which would be enough to pay only three months’ salary.”

Jaswinder Singh, SGTB Khalsa College principal and president of DU Principals’ Association, said a principal was earlier removed for transferring funds. “CM Arvind Kejriwal should intervene and not force colleges to do something illegal.”

DU Teachers’ Association said using SSF was unacceptable. “Delhi government is pushing the burden of salaries on parents and students. Even in the past, if colleges were forced to use SSF for such purposes, the money was always returned to it.”

Balram Pani, dean of colleges at DU, said, “Colleges cannot use SSF. The order is not binding and the matter is already in court.”

Delhi government claimed the DDU College lawyer had told court they had paid salaries from SSF in the past. “When the judge asked him if they are allowed to do so, they said they need an official permission from the directorate of higher education,” it said.

However, Jain claimed “our lawyer said college can take loan for not more than a month from the fund”.

0 6  COLLEGES OF DU ARE FACING AUDIT